Rita DeMara (Earth-616)
, , ; honorary member of the | Relatives = | Universe = Earth-616 | BaseOfOperations = New York City, New York; formerly mobile aboard the ship Icarus on Earth-691 | CharRef = | Gender = Female | Height = 5'5" | Height2 = (Variable) | Weight = 115 lbs | Weight2 = (Variable) | Eyes = Blue | Hair = Strawberry Blonde | UnusualFeatures = | Citizenship = American | MaritalStatus = Single | Occupation = Adventurer, former criminal | Education = | Origin = Human Mutate | PlaceOfBirth = | Creators = Roger Stern; John Buscema | First = Avengers Vol 1 264 | Death = (Off-panel) | Quotation = Wait a minute. I remember you now. You're a $%&#. You were always a $%&#. And now that you're dead, against all odds... you're an even bigger $%&#. I still don't understand what my place is in all of this... but it's sure as hell not with you. | Speaker = Yellowjacket | QuoteSource = Chaos War: Dead Avengers Vol 1 1 | HistoryText = Early Life Little is yet known about the background of Rita DeMara, who was previously a small-time criminal with some minor convictions, and who apparently has a good degree of skill with technology, including computers. Using technological resources apparently of her own invention. Yellowjacket DeMara stole the original Yellowjacket's Suit created by Hank Pym from Avengers Mansion, and modified it for her own use. DeMara, as Yellowjacket, clashed with Pym's ex-wife, Janet van Dyne, the Wasp, when DeMara raided Henry Pym's former laboratory in van Dyne's New Jersey home. The Wasp easily captured the new Yellowjacket when DeMara became hysterical upon using her helmet's cybernetic size-control devices to shrink herself to a tiny size. At that time, DeMara could not adjust psychologically to being so small, although she later learned to do so. DeMara was sent to prison, but was freed by the Grey Gargoyle and Screaming Mimi on behalf of Baron Helmut Zemo. They also brought her original helmet and costume (or duplicates of them). Yellowjacket became a member of Zemo's new Masters of Evil, and participated in their takeover of Avengers Mansion. However, the Avengers finally defeated Zemo and the Masters of Evil, and Yellowjacket was sent back to prison. Yellowjacket was set free from prison by her teammate, the Fixer, who was attracted to her. The Fixer attempted to gain revenge upon the Black Knight for the Masters' defeat by the Avengers, but Yellowjacket helped the Black Knight defeat him, finding Dane Whitman much more attractive than the Fixer. At a time when the Avengers had temporarily disbanded, Captain America (then known as The Captain) sent out an emergency alert to its reserve members. Due to a device installed in DeMara's stolen costume, she also received this alert, and went to Avengers Mansion to have it shut off. DeMara found herself drafted in as an unofficial Avenger to help battle the High Evolutionary and his forces. Through the course of the adventure, Yellowjacket proved to be a valuable ally, and became an honorary member of the Avengers. Later Yellowjacket returned to her old ways, joining Superia's all-female group the Femizons, and then later joining a new incarnation of the Masters of Evil organized by Dr. Octopus. The new Masters of Evil invaded Avengers Mansion, only to find the time traveling Guardians of the Galaxy present instead of the Avengers. Yellowjacket turned against the Masters of Evil by helping the Guardians of the Galaxy defeat them. After this, DeMara trailed after the Guardians of the Galaxy in the 30th century, and proved her worth when she saved the life of Charlie-27 by shrinking, flying inside his throat, and performing "surgery" on a massive blood clot with her stings. She formed a close friendship with Nikki. DeMara later used 30th-century technology to redesign her costume, making it look less like Henry Pym's design (she even found a way to fly without installing wings on her costume). She used her powers as a valued member of the team facing threats such as Dormammu, Loki, Protégé, and Rancor until, homesick, she attempted to return to the 20th century. On the way, she stopped in the near future and learned that a disaster was about to happen to the Avengers in her target time. When she returned to the present to warn them, she was killed by Iron Man, who at the time was mind controlled by Immortus in the guise of Kang the Conqueror. During the Chaos War, the Underworld opened up, allowing Rita to escape alongside Deathcry, Dr. Druid, Captain Marvel, Swordsman, and Vision, all of whom were then-deceased Avengers. The group fought valently, but they all perished in the end. | Powers = | Abilities = Yellowjacket had some skill in creating and adapting technological devices. | Strength = Yellowjacket possessed the normal human strength of a woman of her age, height, and build who engaged in moderate regular exercise. She retained her full-size human strength when she reduced herself in size. | Weaknesses = | Equipment = * 'Yellowjacket's Suit:'Yellowjacket relies on the devices built into her helmet and costume for her superhuman abilities. ** Yellowjacket's costume is equipped with "disruptor stings" similar to those Henry Pym had as Yellowjacket, which enable her to fire blasts of electricity from her gloves. One of these blasts has been observed to damage the side of an automobile severely. ** Yellowjacket's costume also enables her to fly by means that are as yet unknown, but possibly involve anti-gravity devices. ** Yellowjacket initially preferred to refrain from utilizing the ability her helmet gave her to shrink in size. Apparently, the size changes are triggered through cybernetic controls in Yellowjacket's helmet, although Henry Pym, as Yellowjacket, did not need artificial means of changing size, but simply did so through force of will. ** It can be theorized that Yellowjacket's size changes are accomplished in the following manner. Cybernetic devices in her helmet detect her mental command to shrink in size, and trigger the release of a group of rare subatomic particles called "Pym Particles" after their discoverer, Dr. Henry Pym. These particles are stored in some fashion within the helmet. On being released, the particles penetrate Yellowjacket's skin and are transmitted by her nervous system to her brain. There they interact with the electrical impulses of her brain to create a body-wide "reducing field" which is energized by mental command. Thus activated, the field reduces Yellowjacket's entire body at a uniform rate to whatever size she wishes, down to a height of one-half inch. Yellowjacket's mass is not compressed into her reduced stature. Instead it is somehow extended into an extra-physical dimension that is opened by the activation of the Pym Particles, from which the mass can later be reclaimed. ** To grow in size, Yellowjacket causes the helmet to release a different kind of group of Pym Particles, which interact with her brain to produce a body-wide "enlarging field" which is energized by mental command. Yellowjacket's body then enlarges at a uniform rate, reclaiming mass that was extended extra-dimensionally. She has grown on at least two occasions but due to the strain on her heart she rarely used them. ** Yellowjacket's helmet and costume are also affected by the Pym particles and grow or shrink as she does. ** The Wasp has caused Yellowjacket to enlarge in size by removing her helmet and manipulating its manual override controls while standing only several feet away from her. ** It is not known whether Yellowjacket's helmet enables her to communicate with the higher insects as Henry Pym's helmet did. | Transportation = | Weapons = Electric "stringers" in the suit's gloves. | Notes = | Trivia = | Marvel = Yellowjacket_(Rita_DeMara) | Links = * Yellowjacket (Henry Pym) * Wasp * Marvel Directory }} Category:Pym Particles Category:Engineers Category:Inventors Category:Honorary Avengers Category:Size Alteration